Grave marker



P. C. BIERSACH GRAVE MARKER Filed Oct. 19. 1921 H628. FIG. i

F1416. F16. Z l v 2.`\7\ I /v l l 1f Z1. 2.2.

' VENT. MMM? ,erro/mers.

Patented ug. 28, 1923 PATENT oiFicnf" PAUL C. IBERYSACH, OF'MILWUKEE, WISCONSIN.

GRAVE IJIARKER.

Appiieation ined october 19, 1921. serial No; 508,662.

To all whom it may/concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL C. BIERSAGH, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements vin Grave Markers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to grave markers and to the process of making such markers.

Various attempts have been made to provide a grave marker which will success` fully resist the elements and attacks of vandals. The gradual-chipping, staining, and wear of granite and similar .material is common knowledge, and the substitution of metal has merely served to attract vandals for, as has been found, various portions of the l metal are` removed and carried away. 1 v

This invention'seeks to-overcome Vthese defects and, therefore, objects of this invention are to provide agrave marker which will successfullyresist the effacingaction due to prolonged exposure to .the elements, and which will still fail toattract vandals.

Further objects are to provide a grave marker which has non-staining, non-corrosive characteristics; which is permanent, ornamental, andgenerally of pleasing and attractive appearance; and to provide such a grave marker, 'so organized, that `it may be equipped with the desired Vinsignia 4Vand title, or identifying matter, in a permanent and attractive manner; and to provide such a grave markerV with 'means integrally formed therein for receiving ornaments, such'as flowers, and for retaining the'necessaryfreshening water.

Further objectsare to provideV a grave marker composed of glass which maybe readily blown and molded lto lthe desired shape, and rwith the desired ,identifying matter thereon; which is hollow andV may be finally sealed so g as to adapt it for reception of ashes, if so ,desired-f A vfurther object is toprovide afproeess of making agrave marker, which may-be easily and cheaply practiced.V

'An embodiment of the invention is shown l in theaccompanying drawings, inwhich re l` is an elevation of Vone-half of the` Figli mold within which the grave marker is formed, suchV figure being a view taken from the inside ofthe mold.

the

' Figure 2 is,v a section on .the Yline,2.-2 of Figure showing both halves ofthe mold in position. d i.

=Figure 8 is an elevation of the finishedri grave marker. Y

Figure 4 is a detail of the upper portion of the mold sho-wing'the grave marker in position therein, and partly broken away.

Figure 5 is a section on the line `5---5 ofFigure 4. l `-li`igure 6 is yan end elevation'of a removable portion of the mold. i Y

Figure 7 is a side elevation'of the structure shown in Figure. I

Figure 8 is a iplployed to .form the desired insignia, or

i e. n

Y fro-nt elevation of one ofthe removable portions of the moldwhich is Figure 9 is an end elevationof thefst'ruc-A y;

ture shown in lFigure 8. t Figure 10 is a view of the retaining member for the plates such as shown in Figures 8 yand 9.

v In practicing the process contemplated this invention, a mold is first prepared with suitable internal .ornamentation and Awith thev desired identifying matten, or insignia .formed therein, with the.v necessary inversion i to secure the correct positioning of *the letters or'parts of such.insignia, or title, upon the. iinishedproduct. v.This Vmjold is also equipped with a depressed 'upper'por-V After the vmold isassembled land tion.

brought to the desired temperature, a blowing tube with a suitable quantity of melted g'lass'-thereon,` .is inserted into the mold, andiair under thedesired pressure,I is-fo-rced thru such tube, thereby .blowing the glass outwardly against the'4 inner surface 4of the mold and causing. the plastic .glass to accurately conform to the ornamentation and engraving formed upon the internal surface of the mol'df,A Thereafter, when the glass is at a suitable stage in the harden- Q f ing process, the mold is'removed'in sections so.` as Y,toV leave a hollow glass VgraveV marker with the insignia,ornamentation,` and title formed thereon,v and with n a vase-like or depressed portion formed in its. upper end. The lower end of the grave'marker maybe left open in .this process soI that ashes ofv the deceased may bei' inserted therein, and this lower yopen vend may be subsequently,

permanently'sealed in any desiredinannei",

' rison-of Figures 1 and 2. and are arovided P i e Vthese enlargements.

with a'Vrelativel-y large recessed portion, or groove 5 upon their inner surfaces and positioned adjacent the point of union of the main rectangular portion and the contracted lower portion. rihey are also provided with grooves 6 and1 7 which extend substantially completely around the main inner surface of the'moldy sections and terminate adjacent the upper end at a point where the depressed ornamented portion 8 is formed. This ornamented portion may have a Vgroove 9 defining a rectangular surface and may be provided with fiuted depressions 10 adj acent its lower edge. lvithin the flat surface defined by thegroove 9 any desired insignia, as indicated at 11, may be formed either by depressions, or by suitable ridges. They upper portion of the mold is enlarged so as to Vprovidespaces uponI each side, as indicated f at 12 and'13, anda suitable beveled surface 14 'merges into the flat surfaces defining y The extreme upper portion is provided with a recess 15 termi.-` nating in a lower abrupt shoulder 17.. The lowerfportion of the mold is provided with grooves 18 andv 19 and with an aperture 2() to accommodatethe tube for blowing the glass.V l v A emovableportion is provided for the upper end of the piold and comprises a Y .substantially rectangular Part 21 and e tepered downwardly projecting portion 22 (see Figures 6 and '7).` The lower portion of the member 22`is 'provided with a proietnfylindrical 91H23, havin-s e Wunde@ end. lhis removable portion is adapted to be placed inthe upperpart of themold, 'as `may be seenfromFigures 4 and 5, with its rectangular portionV 21 fitting within the space y15 and seating upon the,shoulderw17.. The projecting pin 23 is adapted to formj a hole inthe portion 27 for the reception ofV a flagpol'e. It is to vbe noted,r from an 1n-V spect'ion of Figures .tand 5, that4 the taperedV surface 14;v spaced from the tapered sur-k facef24ofrthe reinovableY portionso asto provi,de4 a s 7ace between such surfaces in' which thefupper folded or rounded porti OjIl o f the glass may be formed.'

One or bothof the members l and 2 may be prov-fide dv with a rectangular depressionthruout its'rnaj'or extent upon its inner sid-e and plates25'rand 26 may be removably i ceable article.

positioned within y these recesses; These plates are conveniently held by means of strap-like members 27 secured at their ends to the mold and extending-'across the upper and lower edges of the plates 25 and 26. rllhese plates 25 and 26 mayhave formed thereon any desired identifying, or ornamentalr matter, or engraving as, for example, the upper plate 25may have a general designation as Civil War Veteran and the lower plates mayhave any further desired identifying matter. lt is, of course, under.- stood that both the inner surface of the mold and the exposed surfaces of the platesniay be ornamented in any manner that is desirable to provide wreaths, branches, stars, or any other desired figures.

lhe various portions of the mold are assembled and clamped inposition in any desired manner and brought to the requisiteV temperature. The glass, in melted state, is placed withinthe mold with the' blowing tube projecting thru the opening 20. ,By suitable operations, as previously described, the glass is blown so as to completely lillvthe mold and take the desired contours. upper or 'removable portion of the mold forms a vase-like depression in `the upper portion of the grave marker, as indicated. at.

27 in Figures i and 5.

The finished grave markeris illustratedin Figure 3, and it will be seen that itis formed of an integraly piece of glass in whichthe insignia 11 appears at yits upper endv with suitable ornamentation and with a.A vase formed behind suchiornamented portion.j lt will also be seen that .a head 6 extends around the margins of the main portieri with suitable'ornamentation inside such beaded portion. Also, it'will be noted r thatthe various identifying matter, as illustrated at 2Sand 29, will bepermanently; formed Aupon such grave marker, It is, of course, ob.-

ing matter may be. formed upon bothsioles of as desired. lThe lower end of the grave marker may be left openduringthe blowing operation and may thereby provide an easy entrance for the ashes .of thedeceaSed. Y In inside of the bead 19 readily retain'theim sorted hardened materialg permanently inl place.

*Itwill thus be seen. that aprocess.ofrnak-Y inga grave marker has been provided Ywhich 'may be easily and" cheaplyv4 followed, and

which willV producean ornamental land servl't will also be seen that; a grave marker has. been produced which will Vvio'us thatV this ornamentation and'identify- 'y vof the grave marker, or upon one side there-V vi ,thisfease, followingthe insertion Y.of the .i

across such lower'end. Thelgroovesformed l'- ers employed for the graves of Civil Var veterans will have glass of a lightblue color, for United Spanish American War veterans an amber color would be desirable, and for World War Veterans the color should be dark brown.

lt is obvious that the invention is admirably adapted to permit of this refinement inasmuch as it is a very simple matter to provide a glass marker of the desired color whereas it would not be possible to do so where headstones or markers are employed,

which are composed of granite, marble, ironor any other material heretofore used.

I claim Y l. A'grave marker comprising a closed casing having an opening in itsv bottom temporarily communicating with the interior and adapted to permit the insertion of ashes and subsequent sealing, said casing having integrally formed identifying matterV and ornamentation, whereby a unitary container vfor ashes and an identifying marker is provided.

Y. 2. A grave marker comprising an inte-` gral casing having an enlarged body 'portion and a reduced hollow standard, said standard having an opening adjacent Vits lower end and communicating with the interior, whereby ashes may be inserted and the opening subsequently sealed. v

3. A grave marker comprising an integral casing having an enlarged hollow body portion and a reduced hollow standard, said body-portion having an imperforate vase# like depression in its upper end, said standard havingan opening at its lower end, andV saidbody portion having integrally formed identifying matter and ornamentation, whereby a unitary grave marker having a receptacle for ornaments, a container for ashes` and an identifying marker' is provided.

el.. A grave marker including a non-corroding receptacle having identifying matter integrally formed on its sides, and provided with an opening adapted to be perA manently sealed and so disposed as to be inaccessibleA when saidfmarker is positioned upon the grave. Y v

PAUL C. BIERSACH. 

